Filing system



Filed Feb. 7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y.

iii

Patented Apr. 1, i924.

- Ubiii'fib STATES 1,888,887 rArE T OFFICE.

nonnnr J. WOOD,

FILING Application filed February T 0 all whom it may concern Be it lrnowi'i that l, Roonnr J. Wooo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Systems, of which the following is a specification.

liiiy invention relates to improvements in card index liling systems, and more particularly to an improved form of mount or carrier and detachable idea: or reference strips ei'igageable therewith.

The object of the invention is to simplify such index or reference systems, whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but will be more eiiicient in use.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to afford a carrier and interchangeable index or reference guides therefor, which will be compact, enabling a great number of such reference or index guides to be mounted in small compass, and

wherein all of the index or reference guides pertaining to a given group will be simultaneously visible. 8

A. further ob ect of the invention is to provide means whereby the reference or index guides will not only be interchangeable, and detachable, but will be movable upon the support or carrier to enable the insertion of additional guides at any desired point in the group.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple, cheap but efficient means for retaining the guide or reference strips in their adjusted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of adjustable guide or index tab for the carrier or support, which is one of a series making up a file.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction and the parts thereof, and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a front elevation of a carrier or support showing thereon a plurality of the index guides oi'reference strips and the adjustable main card or carrier guide tab. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view illustrating the marginal binding of the main support or carrier illustrating the method of mounting the ador narrow, OHIO.

SYSTEM.

7, 1921. Serial No. 443,212.

justable guide tab. Fig. 3 is an edge or plan view of one of the index or guide strips, sometimes called qu1lls, detached from the carrier or support. Fig. e is a sectlonal plan view of the carrier or support as shown in Fig. I. from which the index or guide strips have been detached. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of a support or carrier, with several guide strips or quills applied thereto, wherein is embodied means for interengaging the strip or quill at a medial point. Fig. 6 is an edge or top plan view of one of the reference strips or quills adapted for application to a carrier or support shown in Fig. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view of a portion of the carrier or support as illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a front elevation or face view of a carrier or support having thereon a. series of information or reference strips or quills, illustrating the use of a medial retaining strip transversely arranged across the quills or information strips to prevent their accidental displacement. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail perspective views illustrating two modes of attaching such transversely arranged retaining strips. Fig. 11 illustrates the preferred form of sheet from which the data strips are severed after being inscribed.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The card index device forming the subject matter hereof is applicable to various purposes as for instance in making up di-.. reotories or lists of names of customers or employees, or other persons as may be desired, lists of materials, books, stations or other data, which it may be desired to arrange in groups or in predetermined succession. The device is intended as a reference guide or index and not as a record device in which entries are to be made from time to time. The supports or carriers hereafter referred to may comprise leaves of a book or may be positioned one in front of another in a file box or container or may be mounted upon display stands in any suitable manner. The carrier or support comprises a sheet 1 of card board, tag board or other suitable sheet material, which for the purpose of reinforcement and to strengthen and stiffen the support or carrier has been shown provided with marginal binding 2 of sheet metal. In the simplified form of device illustrated in Fig. 1, the carrier or support has been shown provided with two inwardly extending overlapping wings or ledges 3. These wings or ledges may be of any desired width and may be located either closely adjacent to the marginal edges of the carrier or support 1, or spaced somewhat inwardly therefrom. These wings or ledges have been shown of considerable width, and extend inwardly from the extreme edges of the support or carrier. The reference or data strips or quills comprise long narrow strips of sheet material. Each independently engaged with the support or carrier,

and capable of adjustment thereon to permit insertion of additional strips between any two of those already engaged, within the capacity of the carrier or holder. In the present instance, each of these data or reference strips is provided with oppositely disposed fingers 5 secured to the rear side of the strip, which fingers are insertable beneath the inwardly extending overlying wings or ledges 3 of the carrier or holder, while the ends overlie such wings or ledges. These attachment fingers are preferably spaced inwardly from the end of the reference or guide strips 4, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. They constitute in effecta bifurcation of the ends of the reference or guide strip 4, and might be formed by dividing or splitting the material comprising the strip. However, the preferable method of providing these fingers is to cement or glue strips of material in parallel relation upon the sheet from which the information or guide strips 4 are to be out. These initial parallel strips are cemented or glued along their near or adjacent edges only. Thereafter the sheet bearing such glued or cemented strip is severed transversely of the strip into the information or guide quills 4. Thus each quill or strip 4 will have attached to its rear face a portion of the initially parallel strip secured to the original sheet, such severed attached portions comprising the attachment fingers 5. Inasmuch as the reference or guide quills or strips 4 are quite narrow and difficult to hold in applying data, thereon, such entry of names, places, articles or other information is preferably made upon the original sheet before being severed into the individual strips or quills. To this end the master-sheets are preferably prepared as shown in Fig. 11, by providing in the master-sheet 6 a series of spaced parallel lines 7, upon which the sheet is to be subsequently separated. These separation lines 7 may be merely printed lines or they may be lines of perforation or an incision partially through the sheet to facilitate its severance. In the event the lines are perforated or incised, they preferably terminate in spaced relation with the opposite margins of the sheet 6. This scored sheet- 6 has attached to the rear face thereof the parallel strips 8 provided with like separation lines registering with those of the sheet, which upon separation of the sheet on the separation line 7 will comprise the attachment fingers 5 before referred to. By providing the reference or guide strips or quills ,4 in sheet form as shown in Fig. 11, they may be conveniently printed or written upon either in hand writing or typewriting. The series of strips or quills being interconnected in the original sheet will readily pass thru the ordinary typewriting machine. After the data or information has been entered thereon, the unscored margins 9 of the sheet 6 are cut off on the dotted lines indicated in Fig. 11 intersecting the separation lines 7, and thereby enabling the separation of the sheet into a plurality of independent reference or guide quills. These reference strips or guide quills are engageable with thecarrier or support by causing their bifurcated ends to straddle the inturned wings or ledges 3. By this means the full length of the strip is utilized, and the strip extends substantially to the marginal edge of the carrier or support. This enables the full length of the strip or quill to be utilized, which is not possible when the ends are engaged beneath overhanging flanges. In the event that the card or carrier is quite wide and the strips or quills of great length, to prevent buckling of the imformation strips or quills 4 in their middle portion, additional attachment means may be provided. In Fig. 5 there is shown a medial wing or ledge 10, carried by the support or carrier 1, while the information strips or quill is provided with a corresponding finger 11, upon its rear side, engageable beneath such medial wing or ledge exactly as are the fingers 5 engageable beneath the marginal wings or ledges. In lieu of this mode of intermediately connecting the strips or quills with the support or carrier a transversely arranged retaining strip 12 may 3e provided as shown in Fig. 8. This retaining strip 12 is common to all the information strips or quills 4, extending transversely thereacross, and is engaged at its ends with the support or carrier 1. This engagement may be a sliding or adj ustable engagen'ient by introducing the opposite ends of the retaining strip 12 beneath the reinforcing binding as shown in Fig. 9. By this means the retaining strip 12 may be shifted to and fro to any convenient position upon the support or carrier wherein it will not interfere with data contained upon the information strip or quill. For instance if the file is employed for a directory of names and addresses, this strip may be laterally adjusted to a position intermediate a column of names and column ofaddresses, where it will in no way interfere with the data. In lieu of such adjustable retaining strip, the support or carrier 1 may be provided with two parallel incisions in a direction transversely in relation with the information quills or strips 1, and the strip of material intermediate such incision may be flexed outwardly as shown at 13, in Fig. 10, to afford a retaining strip beneath which the information quills may be thrust. Thus the retaining strip 13 of Fig. 10 is integral with the support or carrier 1, and stationary thereon, while the strip 12 illustrated in F 9 is independent of the support or carrier, and capable of lateral adjustment.

In addition to the retaining Wings and interlocking fingers, and the transversely arranged retaining strip heretofore described, the carrier or support may be provided with inturned marginal flanges 141, as shown in. Figs. 5 and 8 beneath which the ends of the information strips or quills 4 may be tucked. The information strips or quills 4 in any event are capable of lateral sliding adjustment in relation one with the other, and are independently removable and replaceable upon the holder or support. By this means any quill may be removed when the data contained thereon is no longer desired, and a new strip or quill may be reinserted in its place. Likewise the series or group of strips on each carrier may be separated at any point and inserted therebetween. Inasmuch as the supportor carrier 1 will under ordinary circumstances comprise but one of a considerable number of such carriers, which are arranged one in front of another, in card index style, and the number and variety of information strips or quills icing variable, it is not convenient to provide guide tabs integral upon such support or carrier, since these supports or carriers may be variably arranged or interchanged one with the other, thereby disarranging the sequence of the guide tabs or causing them to over lap each other. VTith this condition in view an adjustable guide tab 15 has been provided which is capable of reciprocatory movement to and fro within a slot, provided in the upper marginal binding 2 of the support or carrier 1. A convenient mode of forming and applying this marginal binding to provide such guide tab slot, is shown in Fig. 2, wherein a strip of sheet metal is folded reversely upon itself, that is to say, the opposite edges of the strips are folded in opposite directions upon the body of the strip and reduced to parallelism. The marginal edge of the carrier or support is engaged niche of these pockets thus formed, while the other pocket which will be upturned, receives the movable guide tab 15. lidable guide tabs have heretofore been utilized for filing systems, but such tabs have usually been bifurcated and are ongaged with the card by straddling the mar ginal edge thereof. The engaging portions of the tab being exposed a short length, they are easily displaced and in the present in stance would interfere with ready access to the independent movable information strips or quills t. Hence the form of guide tab shown is especially adapted to the present invention.

Having thus described my invention; I claim:

1. In a card index device, a supporting member, a plurality of data strips overhanging ledges on the suppor'ing member, and oppositely disposed flexible attachement fingers upon the rear sides of the data. strips spaced inwardly from the ends of the same and insertable beneath the overhanging ledgcs whereby said data strips are detachably and movably mounted on the supporting member.

2. In a card index device a support card having a pocket formed therein, a plurality of separable data strips, the said data strips being bifurcated, the furcations being of different length, the short arm of the bifurcation of the strip being insertable within such pocket, the longer arm of such bifurcation overlapping the pocket exteriorly thereof.

3. In an index device, a support card having oppositely disposed pockets formed therein, a plurality of fiexibledata strips and oppositely disposed fingers upon the I rear faces of the data strips inset from the ends of the strip and insertable within said oppositely disposed pockets.

In a card index device, a supporting card, inturned marginal flanges thereon, a plurality of data strips presenting contin uous unbroken faces detachably and movably mounted upon the support card with their ends tucked beneath the inturned marginal flanges, and oppositely disposed fingers upon the back of each of the strips and spaced means upon the supporting card with which said fingers engage for interengaging the data strips with the support intermediate their ends.

5. In a card index, a supporting card, a plurality of independent data strips presenting continuous unbroken faces, and interengaging means between the card and strip at a point intermediate the ends of V the strips.

6. In a card index device, a supporting card, inturned marginal flanges thereon, a plurality of data strips detachably and movably mount-ed upon the support card with their ends tucked beneath the inturned marginal flanges, and a retaining strip, the ends of which are engaged with the supporting card, said retainin strip transversely overying said data strips intermediate their ends.

7. In a card index device, a supporting card, inturned marginal flanges thereon, a plurality of data strips detachably and movably mounted upon the support card with their ends tucked beneath the inturned mar ginal flanges, a pocket formed on the supporting card and fingers upon the rear faces of the data strips engaging in said pocket intermediate the ends of the strips.

8. In a card index device, a supporting card, a plurality of data strips detachably engaged therewith, adjacent to the ends of the strips, and an intermediate adjustable retaining strip, the ends of which are slidingly engaged with the supporting card transversely overlying the data strips inter mediate their ends.

9. In a card index device, a supporting card, a plurality of data strips detachably engaged therewith, adjacent to the ends of the strips, and an intermediate adjustable retaining strip, the ends of which are adjustably engaged wit-h the supporting card, the said strip transversely overlying the data strips intermediate their ends, and movable relatively thereto.

10. In a card index device, a supporting card having pockets formed thereon, a plurality of data strips and spaced fingers on said strips intermediate their ends detachably engageable within said pockets.

11. In a card index device, a supporting card having pockets formed thereon, a plurality of data strips detachably engaged therewith, said strips being oppositely bifurcated adjacent to their opposite ends, one arm of each bifurcation being engageable within said pockets, the other arm of such bifurcations overlying said pockets.

12. In a card index device, a supporting card having pockets formed thereon, a plurality of data strips detachably engageable with said pockets, said data strips being engageable with said pockets, and a trans versely disposed retaining strip traversing the data strips intermediate said pockets, the opposite ends of the retaining strip being engaged with the supporting card.

18. In a card index device, a supporting card, a plurality of data strips detachably engaged therewith adjacent to their ends, and a retaining strip common to all the data strips traversing said data strips intermediate their points of attachment with the supporting card, the ends of the retaining strip being engaged with the supporting card.

14. In a card index device, a guide card, a binding for said card comprising a strip of sheet inatcrial'the edges of which are folded in opposite directions upon itself to parallelism, the margin of the guide card being gripped within one of the reverse folds, and a guide tab slidably gripped in the other reverse fold.

15. In a filing system, the combination with a carrier or holder for a series of independent data or reference strips, of a sheet of such material having parallel lines of separation, dividing the sheet into a plurality of such data or reference strips, said separation lines terminating in spaced relation with the margins of the sheet leaving said strips interconnected one with another for entering data thereon, the strips being subsequently separable by cutting lines substantially parallel with the edge of the sheet and transversely to said separation lines which are intersected by such cuts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of January A. D. 1921.

RODNEY J. WOOD. 

